Messi leads the opening game of the Club World Cup: Expanding the top 32 teams to create a new era, what you must know

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup officially kicked off this Saturday. This is the first time in history that the Club World Cup has expanded to 32 teams to participate in the competition. The competition system also imitates the World Cup for group matches and knockout matches. The game will last nearly a month, bringing together top club teams from all continents around the world. And in this football feast, the most dazzling star is undoubtedly Messi.

Messi leads the opening match of the Club World Cup

This event will be held in the United States. The first game will be played against Egyptian giant Al Ahli by one of the hosts. The match time is 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Messi is not only the focus of this game, but also the core figure of the entire competition. He will be the "starting guest" at the opening ceremony to symbolically start this new Club World Cup. This is also the first time in his career that he has participated in this event as a host player.

Previously, Messi had won the Club World Cup three times for Barcelona (2009, 2011, 2015), but at that time there were only 7 teams, including only the champions and host teams in each continent. Now, this event has been fully upgraded and is regarded by FIFA as the most important club event after the World Cup.

Miami International's Challenge

Although Miami International has stars such as Messi, Busquets, Suarez, etc., and is coached by former Argentine international Mascherano, its overall strength is still weaker than that of European giants. The reason they qualified was because they won the first place in the total points of the MEF regular season last season and automatically advanced as one of the three hosting teams.

In the group stage, Miami International is in Group A with Porto (Portugal), Palmeiras (Brazil) and Al Ahli, and the situation of qualifying is not optimistic. If they miraculously enter the knockout stage, they may face powerful enemies like Paris Saint-Germain or Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals.

Nevertheless, for Miami International and fans, it is more like an opportunity to showcase the team's image and enhance the brand value than a goal to hit the championship.

For Messi, who is about to turn 38, this is not only a new competitive challenge, but also an important appearance at the end of his career. His legs are no longer as fast as they were when he was young, but his mind is still clear and sharp. Messi is now a passer and a terminator, and a core figure that all teammates are eager to get close to.

There is no pressure to win the championship this time, but instead allows him to enjoy the fun of football. After taking root in the city of Miami, he also became the best spokesperson for this New World Club Cup.

As German legendary goalkeeper Neuer said: "In a few years, people will talk about who has won this event. We are here to win."

Stars gathered, and Ronaldo's absence is a pity

In addition to Messi, this Club World Cup will also bring together many world-class stars:

Mbappe (Real Madrid)

Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)

Haaland (Manchester City)

Kane (Bayern Munich)

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)

Cavani (Boca Youth)

However, the only big-name superstar absent is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Club World Cup historical scorer (scoring 7 goals in total) has just won the UEFA League championship with the Portuguese national team. He is 40 years old and still plays in Saudi Arabia. He had received invitations from South American teams such as River Plate, but eventually chose to stay in Saudi Arabia. The team he played for failed to qualify and could only watch the game at home.

Judging from the strength on paper, European teams still have an absolute advantage. Paris Saint-Germain is the most popular favorite to win the championship, followed by Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Surprisingly, Real Madrid is only ranked fifth.

Paris coach Luis Enrique said: "If South American players play in Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay, then American teams will be more competitive. But the reality is that European clubs gather the best players in the world, whether they are the elites of Africa, Asia or America. This is why European teams have more advantages in the game."